Calgary (pps) In view of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, the Canadian Luge Federation is strengthening its coaches’ team. Wolfgang Staudinger has now been hired as Canada’s new head coach; besides, Steffen Skel will also join the Canadian coaches’ team in the upcoming winter.

Staudinger, who became European Champion and Olympic bronze medalist in 1988 together with the German federal coach Thomas Schwab, signed a seven-year contract up to 2014, while Skel, 2004 European champion in doubles together with Steffen Wöller, concluded a one-year contract with an option up to 2010. The two-time Deputy World Champion is currently doing vocational training at the coaches’ academy in Cologne, Germany.

Wolfgang Staudinger last worked as a coach for the German luge team; at the German Federal Police he worked very closely with the two-time World Champion David Möller.
For five years now, the former Junior World Champion Robert Fegg from Berchtesgaden has also been working for Canada’s luge team as a coach.